Re: pathogens in a common use confocal core facility (slightly tangential question)

[Kate Luby-Phelps]

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I agree with George, fixed specimens only.

Slightly off-topic, I am wondering if anyone knows whether chlorhexidine is bad
for microscope parts. My ARC recommends using chlorhexidine to clean up after
imaging whole animals on our two photon microscope. I am particularly
interested in the effects on the black anodizing on the stage and on our dipping
lens. I think they will let us use ethanol instead if we can't use chlorhexidine but
they claim that ethanol is much less effective because it evaporates before it
can do its job.

Thanks

Kate

[Craig Brideau]

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I'd be more worried about your optics than your stage anodizing.  Whatever
you use to wash down the area WILL end up on your objectives somewhere
along the line.
If you really want to check anodizing then just get a little piece of
anodized aluminum.  It can be as simple as a table clamp from Thorlabs or
something.  Just dunk it in the solution and see what happens.  That said,
if it strips anodizing off I can't see it being healthy for objective
lenses either!  Hopefully someone with more chemical knowledge than me can
chime in on this one.

Craig


On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 2:18 PM, Kate Luby-Phelps <
[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> I agree with George, fixed specimens only.
>
> Slightly off-topic, I am wondering if anyone knows whether chlorhexidine
> is bad
> for microscope parts. My ARC recommends using chlorhexidine to clean up
> after
> imaging whole animals on our two photon microscope. I am particularly
> interested in the effects on the black anodizing on the stage and on our
> dipping
> lens. I think they will let us use ethanol instead if we can't use
> chlorhexidine but
> they claim that ethanol is much less effective because it evaporates
> before it
> can do its job.
>
> Thanks
>
> Kate
>

[Gabriel Lapointe-3]

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I'm not sure about chlorhexidine, but what is usful with those kind of
surface disinfectant is that it leaves a bacteriostatic residue behind that
continues to kill the bacteria long after it dries. If that is the case be
sure to clean the objective with distilled water after disinfection or
suffer the effect of dirty objectives.
  *Gabriel Lapointe, M.Sc.*
Lab Manager
Concordia University, Biology Department
7141 Sherbrooke St. West SP 534
Montréal QC H4B 1R6 Canada
[hidden email]
http://gabriellapointe.ca



2012/1/5 Craig Brideau <[hidden email]>

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> I'd be more worried about your optics than your stage anodizing.  Whatever
> you use to wash down the area WILL end up on your objectives somewhere
> along the line.
> If you really want to check anodizing then just get a little piece of
> anodized aluminum.  It can be as simple as a table clamp from Thorlabs or
> something.  Just dunk it in the solution and see what happens.  That said,
> if it strips anodizing off I can't see it being healthy for objective
> lenses either!  Hopefully someone with more chemical knowledge than me can
> chime in on this one.
>
> Craig
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 2:18 PM, Kate Luby-Phelps <
> [hidden email]> wrote:
>
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > *****
> >
> > I agree with George, fixed specimens only.
> >
> > Slightly off-topic, I am wondering if anyone knows whether chlorhexidine
> > is bad
> > for microscope parts. My ARC recommends using chlorhexidine to clean up
> > after
> > imaging whole animals on our two photon microscope. I am particularly
> > interested in the effects on the black anodizing on the stage and on our
> > dipping
> > lens. I think they will let us use ethanol instead if we can't use
> > chlorhexidine but
> > they claim that ethanol is much less effective because it evaporates
> > before it
> > can do its job.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Kate
> >
>